T plus continued
by ynotlleb
Summary: The continuing story of Raj and Bernadette after tragedy strikes at Howard's rocket launch.
1. 12 months

_**Follows on from Howard's rocket launch at the end of 5.24. Part 7, T plus 12 months.**_

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Sheldon, Leonard and Raj are all eating lunch in the Caltech canteen.

Leonard "I know it has been around a year since Howard's rocket blew up but I still expect him to turn up for lunch with us every day."

Sheldon "It is exactly one year Leonard."

Raj "That's right, it would be good if you could come and visit Bernadette tonight, bring Amy and Penny. This anniversary is going to be rough for Bernie, she is going to need all the comforting that she can get."

Leonard "You have been a wonderful friend for Bernadette after what she has been through the last year. Becoming a widow after one week and then single motherhood."

Raj "That's what friends are for."

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That evening, when Leonard, Penny, Sheldon and Amy all turned up _chez_ Bernadette she was on the phone with Mrs Wolowitz.

"OK Debbie, you look after yourself in Florida, we hope to bring baby Howard out for a visit in a few months. My friends have just arrived, talk to you next week."

All her friends gave Bernadette a hug and a kiss, even Sheldon, although he sprayed himself with Purell straight afterwards.

"Thank you for coming today of all days my friends, I really appreciate it."

Amy asked "so how is baby Howard."

"We have just got him to sleep in his room."

Penny said "we had better not disturb him."

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Three days later Penny and Amy took Bernadette out for the regular girls lunch. In the meantime Raj, Sheldon and Leonard looked after baby Howard and watched a movie.

When the three ladies were seated Penny started the conversation

"OK, Bernie, what's the story between you and Raj. I can see the way you look at each other, he can't keep his hands off you."

Amy then joined in "Raj has been a wonderfully supportive friend for you with everything that has happened to you over the last year but you must admit that you have both moved past that."

Penny then said "Have you spoken to Raj about this, I think for both of your sakes you should do this..."

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Two hours later the ladies all returned to Bernadette's house.

Penny "OK, there are our men, Leonard, we are leaving."

Amy "Time to go home Sheldon, Bernie needs to have a private talk with Raj..."


	2. 18 months

**_Follows on from Howard's rocket launch at the end of 5.24. Part 8, T plus 18 months._**

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Just like a year and a half earlier the roof of the Los Robles apartment building was decorated for the wedding of Bernadette and Raj. Sheldon was best man and Amy the maid of honour, Leonard and Penny were going to perform the marriage.

Mike Rostenkowski was going to give his daughter away again

"OK Bernie, second time lucky, let's hope this one lasts more than a week" as they walked down the aisle with Amy towards Penny, Leonard, Sheldon and Raj...

1 hour later at the Caltech Athenaeum Club, Raj the Groom made his wedding reception speech.

"Welcome one and all to Caltech on this special day to celebrate our wedding. We would like to thank our friends Leonard, Penny, Sheldon and Amy for everything they have done for us to make this wedding day possible. It is good to see so many guests here today. It is wonderful to see my new parents in law Mike and Janet and lots of other members of the Rostenkowski family. Thank you to you all for being so welcoming to my parents and my sister Priya who have come all the way from India. We are at the Caltech Athenaeum Club today, it is great to see that so many Caltech work friends are here. Last but by no means least we are very pleased and grateful that Mrs Debbie Wolowitz has come all the way from Florida.

Debbie's son Howard, Astronaut and Engineer, was my best friend from when I first arrived in California all those years ago. I first got to know Bernadette as she was the girlfriend and then the wife of Howard. I soon got to love Bernadette as a friend and member of our social group.

Howard was killed one week after he had got married to Bernadette. All our friends came together to support our dear friend in her hour of need. After Bernadette found out that she was pregnant with Howard's baby I ended up becoming her temporary roommate to help her through the birth. Somewhere along the line, without either of us really noticing, we were falling in love with each other. Our friends could see what was happening before we did, but they made us see the light. And now here we are today for our wedding, thank you all for coming and enjoy the day."

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Two weeks later Raj and Bernadette are travelling on a punt down the river Cam.

"Look Raj, Mike and Janet have sent another video of baby Howard."

"Oh just look at him, he really looks like his father."

"Thanks for bringing us here to England for our honeymoon dear Raj."

"Well I had to give an invited lecture at the conference in London, whilst we are here I had to show you Cambridge."

"Totally looks like Hogwarts."


	3. 30 months

_**Follows on from Howard's rocket launch at the end of 5.24. Part 9, T plus 30 months.**_

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Raj and Bernadette were at the home of Bernadette's parents, little Howard was going to stay with his grandparents whilst Raj and Bernadette went out for a first anniversary dinner with the other four.

Bernadette said to her parents "thanks for looking after little Howard tonight" and then to her son "Bye Bye Howie"

he replied "Mama Bye Dada Bye"

As they drove off to the restaurant Bernadette said to Raj

"Did you hear that Raj, he called me Mama!"

"Did you hear what he called me?"

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4 hours later, when they finally got to bed some pillow talking took place

"He called me Dada Bernie"

"Well I think it's wonderful, you have been great for little Howie"

"Howard is his father, not me"

"Little Howie doesn't know that, don't do yourself down Raj"

"What do we tell him when he is old enough"

"We tell him the truth about Howard. I have something else I want to discuss with you about little Howie. We have been married for a year, that is long enough so you can legally adopt him as your son..."

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3 months later little Howard celebrated his second birthday. Raj and Bernadette had some news for their friends and family who attended the party.

"Hello everyone, we have some news. As of today I have legally adopted Howard as my son, he is now called Howard Michael Dimitri Wolowitz Koothrappali."

"The other news is that I am pregnant, Howard is going to have a little brother or sister in about 7 months time."


	4. 40 months

_**Follows on from Howard's rocket launch at the end of 5.24. Part 10, T plus 40 months.**_

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Bernadette felt a lot better during her second pregnancy than during her first one, this time she had help from the start. In some ways Raj was more nervous than his wife as the birth got closer. The other four friends were as supportive as before, Leonard and Penny had just got engaged and they seemed to be observing the events of the pregnancy with one eye on their future. Bernadette still spoke to Mrs Wolowitz in Florida every week, Debbie was very happy to hear about a new sibling for her grandson.

Dr. Koothrappali in India was personally and professionally happy to hear about the impending birth of his grandchild. He often spoke to Bernadette to give gynaecological advice to his daughter-in-law, he offered to fly out to help with the birth! The only person who was unhappy with what was happening was little Howard, he didn't really know what was happening but he knew something was going on with his mother. He wasn't to know that his privileged life as an only child was about to change forever.

Before the birth of Howard Raj had been the calming influence to the nervous mother to be Bernadette. With a week to the due date Raj was a nervous wreck and Bernadette was waiting as calmly as she could for the baby. With three days to go little Howard went off to stay with his grandparents.

Two days before the due date Bernadette and Raj were in bed together, she had just been talking on the phone to Dr. Koothrappali in India. Raj was nervously taking about his astrophysics research as Bernadette tried to relax. Then suddenly she said

"Ow, I felt that one, shut up Raj and let's get in the car."

5 minutes later they were on their way to the hospital. Raj got pulled over by a traffic cop for speeding but Bernadette rapidly persuaded the cop to let them off, the cop ended up driving ahead of them with flashing lights and a siren to help them get to the hospital even faster!

Bernadette was quickly taken to the delivery room. Raj called his father and Dr. Koothrappali was soon having gynaecological discussions with the delivery room doctor. Bernadette said to her husband "OK Raj, here we go. I love you now hold onto my hand..."

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10 hours later Raj appeared tired but happy in the waiting area to tell Leonard, Penny, Sheldon and Amy "It's a boy, Bernadette is OK, we are calling him Joel Dilip Michael Koothrappali."


	5. 117 months

**_Follows on from Howard's rocket launch at the end of 5.24. Part 11, T plus 117 months._**

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Howard grew up to be an intelligent and inquisitive young boy. The birth of his little brother Joel was a big change to his previous life as an only child but he soon got to love his brother. He enjoyed having a playmate around the house.

Raj introduced his adopted son to astronomy, Howard really enjoyed looking at stars and planets with Raj. Howard would sometimes go to see Raj's lab where he would do his astrophysics research.

Little boys grow up and Howard reached his 9th birthday, he got a new telescope from his parents as a birthday present. Lots of relatives came for his birthday party. Mike and Janet Rostenkowski came with some of Howard's Rostenkowski cousins. Debbie Wolowitz flew out from Florida to see her grandson. Leonard and Penny came with their young daughter Rebecca. Sheldon and Amy were a little bit late as they had just returned from the honeymoon a couple of hours before.

Sheldon "Hello everyone, we are back at last, the flight back from Hawaii was delayed. Happy birthday Howard."

Amy "There's the birthday boy, happy birthday Howard. You do look so much like your father. Give him the present Sheldon."

Sheldon "here you are Howard, a birthday present from Hawaii."

Sheldon and Amy gave Howard some souvenirs from the Mauna Kea observatory.

"Thank you Uncle Sheldon and Aunt Amy, these will go great with my new telescope, do you want to have a look through my new telescope?..."

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When the last of the friends and relatives had left Raj and Bernadette were tidying up after the party. Then Howard made an appearance

"Mum and Dad, now that everyone has gone I have a question I want to ask you. I have been thinking this for some time but Aunt Amy said I look like my father. But I don't look like you Dad, I don't look much like Joel, why is this?"

"Please sit down Howie, your mother and I knew this day would come one day when you would ask these questions. Do you remember when I showed you the moon in the telescope and I told you about the men who walked there?"

"Yes I remember Dad."

"Those men were astronauts, they travelled in space rockets. 9 years and 9 months ago three astronauts were killed when their space rocket blew up after launch. These astronauts were called Michael Massimino, Dmitri Rezinov and (by now Raj had tears in his eyes) Howard Wolowitz. Howard Wolowitz was your father, you were named after him and his astronaut friends."

Then Bernadette spoke "Do you remember Aunt Amy and Uncle Sheldon's wedding a couple of weeks ago, Howard and I had got married a week before the rocket launch (by now she was in tears). Your Dad Raj was a very good friend of mine and your father Howard. All our friends came to help me in my hour of need. When I knew I was going to give birth to you little Howard, your Dad Raj came to live with me to help me prepare for your birth. Somewhere along the line we fell in love with each other and we got married 9 months after you were born. Your Dad Raj eventually adopted you as his son."

"Joel is your brother, he is my natural son, you are my adopted son but that doesn't stop us loving you as much as Joel."

"We knew that you would ask these questions when you were old enough little Howie."

Howard was silent for about thirty seconds and then he said

"I have two fathers, thank you for telling me Mum and Dad" then he walked out of the room...

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25 years later Bernadette and Raj watched the launch of the first manned mission to Mars, on board was astronaut Howard Koothrappali.


End file.
